Anti-Trump messages stole the show and filled the sky during the 127th Rose Parade in Pasadena, California last Friday. “America is great! Trump is disgusting” and “Anybody but Trump” was written over Southern California on the sunny, cloudless Friday just as the Rose Parade floats embarked on their 5.5-mile route.
The skywriters flew over the Rose Parade in an artistic aviation display as they bashed Donald Trump high above the crowds. The dotted anti-Trump messages sidelined the Rose Parade as people snapped photos of the messages. Multiple social media platforms were immediately bombarded by user posts and pics of the skywriters’ declarations.
The clever skywriter plot against 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump was masterminded by Stan Pate, a 57-year-old millionaire real estate developer from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, according to news outlets. “I’ve listened to this Donald Trump over the past several months, and I’m the guy that believes you ought to respect the office of President, it doesn’t matter who holds it,” Pate told CNN in an interview. “You respect the office of the most important person in the country.”
Skywriting is a marvelous marketing tool that acts as a temporary billboard above cities and events. But were these skywriters just giving Donald Trump more exposure? Trump has come under fire throughout his campaign. His bluntly anti-Muslim remarks and his outspoken criticism of illegal immigration seem over the top for a serious politician.
But maybe that’s his plan? It is possible that Trump’s “shock and awe” campaign strategy will lead him to the White House. Trump’s outlandish anecdotes continue to fill newspapers and news outlets in America and abroad. The skywriting above the Rose Parade, paid for by Stan Pate, sent a clear message of its own. However, Trump’s campaign runs on notoriety and publicity, so Pate’s well-intentioned plan could backfire.
Were those skywriting messages effective, or will they serve to facilitate Trump’s campaign?
—The Alternative Daily